Appliance for massaging and exercising human feet



May 12, 1953 R. F. JOHNSON APPLIANCE FOR MASSAGING AND EXERCISING HUMANFEET Filed NOV. 24, 1950 INVENTOR.

2085.97. /-7 JOHNSON,

Patented May 12, 1953 STATES PENT OFFICE APPLIANCE FOB MASSAGING' ANDEXER' CISIN'G HUMAN FEET Robert F. Johnson, Bedford, Va.

Appiication November 24, 1959', Serial No. 197,464

a novel and improved foot-exercising device which is very simple inconstruction, which is easy to use, and which provides progressivemuscular development of the arches and other portions of the feet.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improvedfoot-exercising device which is very inexpensive to manufacture, whichis compact in size, which affords progressive development of the musclesof the feet in a painless manner, and by the use of which numerousailments derived from foot weakness may be avoided.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l isa top plan View of an improved footexercising. deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the footexercising device ofFigure 1 Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the manner of using thedevice at the beginning of a course of foot exercises;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the manner of using the device atan intermediate stage of the course of foot exercises.

Referring to the drawings, the exercising device is designated generallyat H and comprises a pair of parallel bar members 22 and I3 connected bya transverse bar member I4 secured to the intermediate portions of thebar members I2 and I3 and extending at right angles to said bar membersl2 and I3. The bar member I3 is relatively small in height and hassmoothly rounded top surfaces on opposite sides of the connection to thebar member I4, as shown at 15, I5. The bottom surface of bar member I3is flat, as shown at Hi, the bottom surfaces of the bar members I2 andI4 being similarly flat, as shown at IT and IS. The flat surfaces I6, I!and I8 are coplanar and enable the device to be supported in a verystable manner on the floor.

The top surfaces of bar member 12 on opposite sides of the transverseconnecting bar M are rounded, as shown at I9, I9 in a manner similar tothat of the surfaces 15, I5, and the bar member I2 is of substantiallygreater height than bar member l3. The transverse connecting bar I4 isalso smoothly rounded at its top surface, but is formed with the spaceddepressions 28' and 2-! having similar heights; which are intermediatein value between theheight-ofbar member 52 and the height of bar memberI3; The depressions 2i? and it are of substantial width and areseparated by the intermediate, rounded hump or projectionv 22..Respective rounded shoulders 23 and 24 are; definedlat the ends of thetransverse connecting bar M;

The bar member M is connected to: the. push lel bar members: I2 and; 3in any suitable man her for providing a. rigid connection, as-rbysuitable lap joints reinforced with glue or' other: fas

tenin means. The bar? members I2; wand I4 may be formed. of wood,plastic, or any; other; suitable material, such as" aluminum or similarlight, durable and strong metal.

In using the device; theuser first. places his feet on the rounded topsurfaces t5; :5 of the; bar member $3, the user being in a standingposition and holding onto a suitable support, such as a chair; the feetbeing rocked back and forth on the" surfaces it, IS with said; surfacesin engagement with: the: arch portions or. the: regions" of the feetadjacent thereto. The. degree. of pressure should be.graduallyincre'ascduntil the muscles of the feet have been somewhat toughened. After a fewdays of exercising the feet on the bar member l3 in the manner abovedescribed, the user may repeat the procedureon the transverse connectingbar I4, engaging the arch portions of the feet in the depressions 20 and2! and rocking the feet on said arch portions for short periods of timefor several days until the muscles of the feet become furtherconditioned and toughened to the increased stretching provided by thetransition from the exercising bar I3 to the exercising bar I4. Figures3 and 4 illustrate the manner in which the feet are engaged over therounded. top surfaces of the respective exercising bars I3 and I4.

After the feet have become conditioned to the exercise on the crossbarI4, the user may proceed to exercise the feet on the final exercisingbar I2 which is of maximum height. As in the case of the two previousexercising bars. the user rolls or rocks on the top surfaces of bar I2with the arches of the feet engaged on said top surfaces and the userbeing in a standing position. As in the previous exercisers, the usermassages the arch portions of the feet on rounded top surface I9, I9 forshort periods, repeated frequently over the course of several days untilthe muscles of the arches and adjacent portions of the feet have becomeconditioned and toughened to an extent wherein the exercises may becarried on with a minimum degree of pain or discomfort over relativelylong Periods of time, When the feet have become strong enough so thatthe user can stand on the rounded projection 22 with one foot at a timeand with all the weight of his body supported on said projection withoutpain or discomfort, the course of foot exercises may be considered ashaving been successfully completed.

It will be readily apparent that numerous variations in the manner ofuse of the above-described device may occur to persons employing thedevice, and that various other methods of exercising the feet on thedevice to provide progressive development and toughening of the footmuscles may be devised.

While a specific embodiment of an improved foot-exercising device hasbeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art.

Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the inventionexcept as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spacedfrom each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars andfixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spacedfrom the ends of the parallel bars,

all of said bars having fiat undersides arranged to rest upon asupporting surface, all of said bars having transversely rounded uppersurfaces upon which feet are adapted to be rocked for exercise, therounded upper surface of said third bar having longitudinally roundedhump means rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of archportions of feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on theupper surface of said third bar.

2. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spacedfrom each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars andfixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spacedfrom the ends of the parallel bars,

all of said bars having fiat undersides arranged to rest upon asupporting surface, all of said bars having transversely rounded uppersurfaces upon which feet are adapted to be rocked for exercise, therounded upper surface of said third bar having longitudinally roundedhump means rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of archportions of feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on theupper surface of said third bar, said hump means comprising a pluralityof humps spaced along said third bar.

3. In a foot exerciser, a pair of substantially parallel bars spacedfrom each other, a third bar extending between said parallel bars andfixedly connected at its ends to said parallel bars at points spacedfrom the ends of the parallel bars, all of said bars having flatundersides arranged to rest upon a supporting surface, all of said barshaving transversely rounded upper surfaces upon which feet are adaptedto be rocked for exercise, the rounded upper surface of said third barhaving longitudinally rounded hump means,

rising therefrom with which the inner and outer sides of arch portionsof feet are adapted to be engaged while rocking feet on the uppersurface of said third bar, said hump means comprising a plurality ofhumps spaced along said third bar, the upper surface of one of saidparallel bars being depressed below the upper surface of the otherparallel bar, and said hump being elevated above the upper surface ofsaid one parallel bar and substantialy on a level with the upper surfaceof the said other parallel bar.

ROBERT F. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,516,464 Taplin Nov. 18, 1924 1,549,601 Mulgrew Aug. 11, 19251,569,467 Edwards Jan. 12, 1926 1,981,379 Thomson Nov. 20, 19342,082,829 Gerlofson June 3, 1937

